Wrench.



GUSTAVE GEORGE I-IOCKINSON, OF HOWELL, INDIANA.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Application filed June 11, 1915. Serial No. 33,478.

To all ywhom t may concern j Be it known that I, GUs'rAvn G. IIociiiN- sox, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Howell, in the county of Vanderburg and State oi' Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in lVrenches, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates to improvements in wrenches and more particularly to that type of wrenches in which a pivotcd head is used carrying jaw members relatively adjustable to each other, and has for an object to produce a wrench which is adaptable for use in various positions and upon objects of various sizes.

With this and other objects in view my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side view oi my improved wrench. Fig. 2 is an edge view of same. Fig. 3 is a face view of an adjusting yoke. Fig. 4E is a side elevation of the same.

Referring more particularly to the drawing which represents an embodiment of my invention the character 1 represents the usual shank or handle of the wrench having at one end a pair of spaced apart arms 2 2 between which is pivotally mounted the jaw head 35, which has a reduced portion et which has a toothed or serrated edge forming a segmental ratchet 36; the extent of the periphery of this ratchet is approximately that of a. semi-circle, but this may be varied to suit conditions, the purpose of the segment being to provide for adjustment of the head so that the wrench may be readily used in places not usually accessible to an 0rdinary wrench. To utilize the toothed segment I provide oppositely arranged dogs or pawls 27 which are pivotally mounted within and between the arms 2 at the enlarged end of the shank 1, said dogs or pawls fitting into the curved sockets 93 in a block 941 rigidly held between the aws 2-2 by the rivets 95, and project in opposite directions as shown in Fig. 1; these dogs or pawls are held in place and against the toothed edge of the segmental ratchet 36 by the plate springs 28 screwed or riveted to the shank. On one end of the axis of each of the dogs or pawls, is rigidly secured a resilient finger piece or handle 29 which has on its inner face a projection or teat 30 which is adapted to be sprung or 'forced into a socket 31 made in opposite 'faces of the shank in order to hold each of said dogs or pawls in its inoperative position. These finger pieces or handles Q9 as will be noticed are disposed on opposite sides of the shank so that either' one can be operated without interference with the other. By using the segmental ratchet 3G the shank or handle of the wrench can be swung, adjusted and held at any angle to the jaws and indeed can be swung and held in a position parallel with the longitudinal axis of the sliding jaw member, it being understood, of course, that one dog or pawl is locked when the wrench is used as a right hand wrench and the other dog or pawl locked when the device is used as a left hand wrench.

The sliding jaw 30 has a shank 31 the opposite edges of which are threaded as shown at 3Q, and on said shank is mounted the nut 33 which engages the said threaded edges 32; this nut is mounted withinthe opening 34 in the jaw head 35, which has as hereinbeiore stated, the segmental ratchet 3G.

To facilitate adjustment of the sliding jaw member 30, I provide a yoke 37 having a central elongated opening 33 and a flat rear face 39, said rear face 39 adapted to have the nut bear against it in adjusting and holding the sliding jaw member. The front face of the yoke has the curved side walls 10 which project forwardly and are provided with the central semi-circular depressions or sockets 41 which fit against the similarly curved lugs or projections 42 disposed on each side of the head 30; the upper and lower ends oi' the side walls 10 extend beyond'the upper and lower cross bars of the yoke so that the yoke may not move laterally through the opening 34. The sockets 41 permit of a rocking motion of the yoke on the curved lugs.

Referring again to the dogs or pawls 27 it is to be noted that as each one being provided with two teeth that fit into the teeth of the segment 36 and their pivotal ends being relatively broad, the two together taking up practically the entire width of the shank, and the curved ends 92 resting in the sockets, practically the entire pressure during the use of the wrench will be distributed between the teeth and sockets and not on the pivots of the pawls.

Among the advantages of using a wrench provided with a ratchet handle mechanism as above set forth is that in close o` confined places where a rig'id handle could only be moved through a limited arc on account or' obstacles, the jaw heads can be moved around and then set back for a new grip on the rest or other object operated on.

I claim l. A wrench comprising a handle terminating' in `spaced apart arms at one end, a jaw head pivotally mounted between said arms, and having a segmental ratchet edge, spring actuated pawls pivoted to the handle and coacting with the segmental ratchet, said head having an opening therethrough in one direction and another opening therethrough at right angles to the first opening, a slidable jaw member having' a shank mounted in one opening and having its opposite edges threaded, a nut mounted on the threads of the slidable jaw, and within the other opening through the head, a yoke surrounding said threaded shank and having sockets in its front face engaging at each side with the jaw head and at its opposite side having a flat engagement with the front face of the nut mounted on the threaded shank.

2. A wrench comprising' a handle terminating' in spaced apart arms at one end, a jaw head pivotally mounted in between said arms and having a segi'nental-ratchet edge, a removable block held between the spaced apart arms and having rounded sockets therein, spring actuated pawls pivoted in said sockets and bearing therein finger pieces carried by said pawls, said pawls coacting with the segmental ratchet, the head having an opening therethrough in one direction and another opening transversely across the first opening at a right angle, a slidable jaw member having a flattened shank threaded on its opposite edges mounted in the iirst mentioned opening, a nut mounted on the threads of the shank and within the transversely disposed opening, a yoke surrounding' the shank and abutting one face of' the nut, curved abutments on each side of the pivoted jaw head, said yoke having sockets engaging with said abutments.

8. A wrench comprising a handle and one jaw member pivotally mounted thereon, said member having' a passage therethrough in one direction, and another passage transversely across the first passage at a right angle, a slidalole jaw member having a flattened shank having threads on its opposite edges, said first mentioned passage, a nut mount-ed on the threaded shank and within the aforesaid transverse opening, a yoke member surrounding the shank and abutting at its rear face against the nut, the :front face of said yoke having flanges provided with curved sockets and rounded abutments on the side faces of' the pivotally mounted jaw member fitting said curved sockets of the yoke.

GUSTAVE GEORGE HOCKINSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C.

shank mounted to slide in the 

